Could We Have Won Vietnam?

[lehighguy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9klk7iSCII

McCain:

"Congressmen, we never lost a battle in Vietnam. It was American public opinion that forced us to lose that conflict."

Paul:

"Shortly after the Vietnam war ended Col. Tu and Col. Sumner met and they were talking about this and the American Col. said, 'your know we never lost one battle', and Col. Tu the Vietnamese said, 'Yes, but that's irrelevant.'"

I understand McCain went through a lot in Vietnam, and his emotions make it so he doesn't want to admit it was all in futility. Like Paul said after the debate, he is basing his policies on emotion and his emotional investment in this war.

Aside from war veterans who were tortured in Vietnamese prison camps, does anyone else get a pass at this though. Isn't saying that we could have won the Vietname war a sure sign of insanity in American politics?

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9klk7iSCII

McCain:

"Congressmen, we never lost a battle in Vietnam. It was American public opinion that forced us to lose that conflict."

Paul:

"Shortly after the Vietnam war ended Col. Tu and Col. Sumner met and they were talking about this and the American Col. said, 'your know we never lost one battle', and Col. Tu the Vietnamese said, 'Yes, but that's irrelevant.'"

I understand McCain went through a lot in Vietnam, and his emotions make it so he doesn't want to admit it was all in futility. Like Paul said after the debate, he is basing his policies on emotion and his emotional investment in this war.

Aside from war veterans who were tortured in Vietnamese prison camps, does anyone else get a pass at this though. Isn't saying that we could have won the Vietname war a sure sign of insanity in American politics?

[/ QUOTE ]

Clearly we could have won the war. Clearly the American public wasn't willing to do what was necessary to win the war. Part of that unwillingness was propoganda from the anti-war movement that distorted the realities of the battle itself, part of it was genuine pacifist beliefs, and part of it was genuine and changing cost/benefits analyses.

I don't see insanity entering into any of the above.

[lehighguy]

Wow. I'm amazed.

The Chinese fought the Vietnamese for hundreds of years and never prevailed. The French fought with them for ten years before we arrived and never prevailed. We fought them for years and never prevailed.

The war was based on the fundamentally flawed assumption that we can impose our way of life on other people through force of arms.

If you ever met some Vietnamese people you would know that they would have fought to the death for as long as it took to preserve thier national soviergnty and never become a puppet to foriegners. Though I don't even think that is a prerequisite to understand the principle, simply think of what you would do if your country was invaded.

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow. I'm amazed.

The Chinese fought the Vietnamese for hundreds of years and never prevailed. The French fought with them for ten years before we arrived and never prevailed. We fought them for years and never prevailed.

The war was based on the fundamentally flawed assumption that we can impose our way of life on other people through force of arms.

If you ever met some Vietnamese people you would know that they would have fought to the death for as long as it took to preserve thier national soviergnty and never become a puppet to foriegners. Though I don't even think that is a prerequisite to understand the principle, simply think of what you would do if your country was invaded.

[/ QUOTE ]

The Chinese military and all of their technological prowess, and the French, who couldnt win a war with a baguette without our help? Great comparisons.

Ive had 3 Vietnamese employees, I know their character very well. I also know that they are grateful for the US intervention that made it possible for their families to emigrate to the US and held off the North from taking over. Sovereignty indeed.

Talk to Scotty Ngyuen sometime about Vietnam and our involvement.

[Scary_Tiger]

[ QUOTE ]
I have 3 American employees, I know their character very well. I also know that they are grateful for the British intervention that made it possible for their families to emigrate to the UK and held off the North from taking over. Sovereignty indeed.

[/ QUOTE ]

[Misfire]

We could have easily won Vietnam.


The question is, would it have been worth it?

[The Truth]

I think I am going to go with Robert Mcnamara on this one. We saw vietnam as a piece in the cold war, which it was not, and we [censored] up. No, there was no winning the war in vietnam (outside of turning north vietnam into a parking lot which is stupid obv.)

[Copernicus]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I have 3 American employees, I know their character very well. I also know that they are grateful for the British intervention that made it possible for their families to emigrate to the UK and held off the North from taking over. Sovereignty indeed.

[/ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]

Huh?

[ikestoys]

[ QUOTE ]
Wow. I'm amazed.

The Chinese fought the Vietnamese for hundreds of years and never prevailed. The French fought with them for ten years before we arrived and never prevailed. We fought them for years and never prevailed.

[/ QUOTE ]
lol wrong, wrong, wrong....

[The Truth]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Wow. I'm amazed.

The Chinese fought the Vietnamese for hundreds of years and never prevailed. The French fought with them for ten years before we arrived and never prevailed. We fought them for years and never prevailed.

[/ QUOTE ]
lol wrong, wrong, wrong....

[/ QUOTE ]

You gotta elaborate.